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Creative Corner: Burlington then and now: New book examines changes in city

Determined to prove ourselves under ongoing opposition and haunted mercilessly by the media, we worked together day and night to develop our ideas and put them into action. We had dual goals: to make lives better for working people and exceed expectations for basic city services.

Creative Corner: Burlington then and now: New book examines changes in city

It’s been almost 30 years to the day since I began working for the City of Burlington under the administrations of former Mayors Bernie Sanders and Peter Clavelle.

My focus during all those years was to assist the newly created Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) in its effort to recharge the economy and improve the lives of working people.

At the time, the city was saddled with over 16 vacant storefronts. Fifteen businesses moved out of Burlington in the midst of a national economy that had a high unemployment rate. .

On top of all that, the “Sandersistas,” as we were called at the time, were labeled as anti-business due to the socialist label that Sanders wore proudly as a voice for the elderly, poor and working people of the city.

Determined to prove ourselves under ongoing opposition and haunted mercilessly by the media, we worked together day and night to develop our ideas and put them into action. We had dual goals: to make lives better for working people and exceed expectations for basic city services.

We understood that if we were to get anywhere, we had to not only bring about radical change, we also had to pay strict attention to the basics: streets, sidewalks and the ever increasing property tax rates.

Over the first five years, the administration accomplished projects including the development of the Burlington waterfront, the community boathouse and the bike path. These popular projects helped maintain momentum and slowed the constant beat of opposition.

We also began work on less visible projects such as the redevelopment of the Maltex building, the creation of the Greater Pine Street Business Association (now the South End Arts + Business Association), development of a downtown department store, expansion of the Radisson Hotel (now the Hilton) and establishment of Vermont’s first tax increment financing district on the waterfront to help pay for public improvements.

All of these projects provided fuel for each other to grow and created more opportunities. Our work began with the belief that nurturing locally grown small businesses and nonprofits would help to sustain the city’s economy over the long term.

Today, the residents of Burlington enjoy one of the most livable cities in the country — a feat that took many years of work by hundreds of people committed to the ideals espoused by the progressive administration.

A number of untold stories about these accomplishments can be found in a new book I co-authored with Rhonda Phillips and Ed Antczak: “Sustainable Communities: Creating A Durable Local Economy” (Routledge, $39.95).

The book is a primer for community economic development specialists, students, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and elected officials. It also shares many details about Burlington for those want to learn more about their community and how to support and change it for the better.